my Laura Scudder story

Many years ago, the late 1950's I think, I was sitting at my desk
writing my monthly checks and eating potato chips. Laura Scudder
potato chips. I mentioned to my cousin, who was visiting, that the
chips tasted a bit rancid. She agreed. Well, if I hadn't been sitting
there with pen and paper I probably wouldn't have bothered. But I
wrote a letter that started with "Dear Laura Scudder, would you accept
a word of criticism from a long-time user of your products?"
I explained that I always counted on her products, peanut butter,
chips, bottled nuts, etc. to be high quality and I was disappointed.
Two days later the phone rang. "Is this Nancy? This is Laura Scudder
!!! . " Well, I didn't even know that there WAS a real Laura
Scudder. She talked for a good 15 or 20 minutes. She was feeling so
worried about the quality of the potato crop--something (too much rain?
) was affecting the quality of the potatoes, and she was so concerned.
She apparently wanted to talk about it, because I would thank her for
calling, and she just went on--her husband was very ill in the hospital
and she was worried about him. She described his operation. I told her
I had seen a recent article in the Los Angeles Times that described
their company's growth from a small clothing store that also carried
home-made potato chips placed by their cash register. We talked for a
while, she was so sweet and concerned. Could she have the delivery van
deliver a package of chips to my door? (Oh, no, please don't bother.)
She sent me a birthday card. I wrote and thanked her. Not too long
after that, a year or so, I read that she had died. I felt truly sad,
I had lost a friend.
Imagine all those friends out there that we have never met.
Nancree